Literary Criticism

“HATE IMPACTS REVENGE AND DEATH INSTINCT”

In short story of

The Cask Of Amontillado

by

Edgar Allan Poe

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

• ·         Anecdote

         Historical-Biographical Approach has evolving over many years.  This approach sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author’s life and times or the life and times of the characters in the work. It is reflect particular episodes in his life. I am analyze this short story of “The Cask Of Amontillado” with Historical-Biographical Approach.

                  The author of this short story is Edgar Allan Poe who is well-known as a mysterious man. Almost his works tells about revenge. Then, his works reflects about himself. This was Poe’s way of taking revenge upon those who have done him wrong. It is summarized that Poe possibly mirrored himself to Montresor. So, I will analyze this short story with Historical-Biographical Approaches.

• ·         Biography of Edgar Allan Poe

On January 19, 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe’s father and mother, both professional actors, died before the poet was three years old, and John and Frances Allan raised him as a foster child in Richmond, Virginia. John Allan, a prosperous tobacco exporter, sent Poe to the best boarding schools and later to the University of Virginia, where Poe excelled academically. After less than one year of school, however, he was forced to leave the university when Allan refused to pay Poe’s gambling debts.

Poe returned briefly to Richmond, but his relationship with Allan deteriorated. In 1827, he moved to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army. His first collection of poems, Tamerlane, and Other Poems, was published that year. In 1829, he published a second collection entitled Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Neither volume received significant critical or public attention. Following his Army service, Poe was admitted to the United States Military Academy, but he was again forced to leave for lack of financial support. He then moved into the home of his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia in Baltimore, Maryland.

Poe began to sell short stories to magazines at around this time, and, in 1835, he became the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, where he moved with his aunt and cousin Virginia. In 1836, he married Virginia, who was fourteen years old at the time. Over the next ten years, Poe would edit a number of literary journals including the Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City. It was during these years that he established himself as a poet, a short story writer, and an editor. He published some of his best-known stories and poems, including “The Fall of the House of Usher," “The Tell-Tale Heart," “The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and “The Raven.” After Virginia’s death from tuberculosis in 1847, Poe’s lifelong struggle with depression and alcoholism worsened. He returned briefly to Richmond in 1849 and then set out for an editing job in Philadelphia. For unknown reasons, he stopped in Baltimore. On October 3, 1849, he was found in a state of semi-consciousness. Poe died four days later of “acute congestion of the brain.” Evidence by medical practitioners who reopened the case has shown that Poe may have been suffering from rabies.

Poe’s work as an editor, a poet, and a critic had a profound impact on American and international literature. His stories mark him as one of the originators of both horror and detective fiction. Many anthologies credit him as the “architect” of the modern short story. He was also one of the first critics to focus primarily on the effect of style and structure in a literary work; as such, he has been seen as a forerunner to the “art for art’s sake” movement. French Symbolists such as Mallarmé and Rimbaud claimed him as a literary precursor. Baudelaire spent nearly fourteen years translating Poe into French. Today, Poe is remembered as one of the first American writers to become a major figure in world literature.

• ·         Assumption

My assumption of “The Cask Of  Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is “hate impact revenge and death instinct”.

•  Literary Review

“The Cask of Amontillado” was first published in the November issue of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1846. “The Cask of Amontillado” did not receive a great deal of critical attention when it was first published. “The Cask of Amontillado” has been continuously in print since 1850. The Cask of Amontillado is a short story of the horror genre.

In this short story, It is about revenge between Montresor and Fortunato. Montresor felt angry with Fortunato who was insult Montresor’s family. Montresor is smart. He intended to be a good person when he met Fortunato. In Montresor’ mind, he was thinking about a revenge for Fortunato. This was Poe’s way of taking revenge upon those who have done him wrong. It is summarized that Poe possibly mirrored himself to Montresor. It is appropriate if I use Historical-Biographical Approaches to analyze this short story.

• ·         Benefits of Study

1.     I get knowledge about Historical-Biographical Approaches.

2.     I get knowledge about background of the author.

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CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

• ·         Theory

1.      Concept

I use Historical-Biographical Approaches of this short story. This approach sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author’s life and times or the life and times of the characters in the work.

2.      Setting

The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting.  For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.  There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story.

3.      Plot

The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea;  It is the sequence of events in a story or play.  The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end.  The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.

4.      Character

There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2)  The characteristics of a person.

• ·         Analysis of The Cask of Amontillado

                  “The Cask of Amontillado” was first published in the November issue of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1846. “The Cask of Amontillado” did not receive a great deal of critical attention when it was first published. “The Cask of Amontillado” has been continuously in print since 1850. The Cask of Amontillado is a short story of the horror genre.

                The Cask of Amontillado is about Edgar’s personal life. Almost his story tells about his life. It could be possible that Poe had an original narrative. In this short story, Edgar shows about a revenge of someone. This was Poe’s way of taking revenge upon those who have done him wrong. It is summarized that Poe possibly mirrored himself to Montresor. I use Historical-Biographical Approaches for this short story.

            Setting in this short story is in carnival and catacombs. We can look at this sentence:

-          It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend (paragraph 3).

-          We came at length to the foot of descent, and stood together upon the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresor (paragraph 5).

Characters are in this short story:

-          Montresor is someone who bears a grugde, smart and evil.

We can look at this sentences:

I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge ( paragraph 1, line 1).

I continued, as was my in to smile in his smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of hus immolation (paragraph 2, line 2).

-          Fortunato is someone who loves wine.

We can look at this sentences:

 He prided himself on his cannoisseurship in wine (paragraph 2, line 4).

Plot of this short story is : 

-          Introduction :

I must not only punish with impunity (paragraph 1).

-          Rising Action :

I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (Paragraph 1)

-          Climax :

I continued, as was my in to smile in his smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of hus immolation (paragraph 2).

-          Falling Action :

I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain (paragraph 6).

-          Resolution :

It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato (paragraph 7).

This short story is about Edgar’s personal life. This was Poe’s way of taking revenge upon those who have done him wrong. This literary battle was called the "War of the Literati," which consisted of several attacks against each other in writing. So, I use Historical-Biographical Approaches for this short story because it is a reflection of Edgar’s life.

• ·         Summary of The Cask Of Amontillado

                  “The Cask of Amontillado” was first published in the November issue of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1846. “The Cask of Amontillado” did not receive a great deal of critical attention when it was first published. “The Cask of Amontillado” has been continuously in print since 1850. The Cask of Amontillado is a short story of the horror genre.

                  The thousand injuries of Fortunato, Montresor had borne as he best could, but when he ventured upon insult he vowed revenge. Montresor felt angry with Fortunato who was insult Montresor’s family. Montresor is smart. He intended to be a good person when he met Fortunato. In Montresor’ mind, he was thinking about a revenge for Fortunato. He would make a revenge without risk because Montresor had a motto “Nemo me impune lacessit”, it meant that “nothing people can disturb me without punishment”.

                  Montresor did a revenge of Fortunato at carnival season. When he met Fortunato, he talked a lot with Fortunato. At this time, Fortunato was drinking too much. Montresor asked Fortunato for taste his wine—Amontillado. Then, Fortunato drunk the Amontillado—a rare wine. Montresor invited Fortunato to catacombs. Fortunato obeyed him. Finally, Montresor buried Fortunato who still alive at catacaombs. Montresor reveals that in the 50 years since that night, he has never been caught. No one else knew what he ever did.

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CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

I use Historical-Biographical Approaches for this short story because it is a reflection of Edgar’s life. Almost his story tells about his life. It could be possible that Poe had an original narrative. In this short story, Edgar shows about a revenge of someone. This was Poe’s way of taking revenge upon those who have done him wrong. It is summarized that Poe possibly mirrored himself to Montresor. This literary battle was called the "War of the Literati," which consisted of several attacks against each other in writing. So, this short story is about hate impacts revenge and death instinct because it is a reflection of his works.

  

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Bibliography

Gurien. Wilfred. 1979. A Handbook Of Critical Approaches To Literature. United States Of America: Harper & Row Publishers.

http://x-gunting.blogspot.com/2011/02/unsur-intrinsik-cerpen.html